Timket- Must-See Ritual Festival in Ethiopia: Tourists

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ENA, January 19/2020 Experiencing Timket is something that not be missed said Tourists who happen to take part in the Ketera, which is the eve of the Ethiopian Epiphany.

Timiket, the colorful celebration of Ethiopian epiphany, was recently inscribed as the intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Drawing millions of devotees and tens of thousands of tourists, Timiket celebration is a three-day procession that starts from Ketera, the eve of Ethiopian epiphany, and ends after the festivity of Kana Ze Gelila.    

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Susan Hall from California USA said “I came to Ethiopia for the first time in 2012 and I like your country so much I came back again and I brought four friends with me.”

 ''Well it is something not to be missed. I think it's a fabulous idea that your country preserves its traditions I think that's very important and it is one of the few countries that does not many other countries have anything like Timket at all,” she described it.

In the U.S. nothing interesting other than going to church happens, the American tourist said and pointed out “but, Timket is quite amusing.”

Speaking of its paramount contribution to peaceful coexistence, Hall noted “to promote the peace and harmony for the world, Ethiopia certainly is doing its part.”

A tourist from Canada, John Wilton, expressed his reason for coming to Ethiopia as “I have wanted to come to this festival for a long time; I have heard about it and I wondered your experience it for myself.”

“I know from the information or that we were given that the spirit of this is to welcome all people and I think that is a very good thing. And it seems to me from what I have seen about Ethiopia that it seems to be a country that is very open to all different kinds of people and that is a good thing,” he elaborated.

Wilton hopes to tell people about Ethiopia, particularly that it is very welcoming place and open to all different kinds of people.

Speaking of the recent inscription of Timket by UNESCO as world intangible heritage, “it is good to know that UNESCO recognizes these kinds of festivals all around the world.” 

Ethiopia offered distinctive cultural and ritual experiences, to the world with underlying tropes and the recognition by UNESCO is appropriate, he said.

There are many ritual and cultural celebrations in Ethiopia but Timiket ritual festivity is the main out-door event flanking Meskel, which is the finding of the True Cross.  

In Ethiopia the festival of Timket is celebrated on January 19th or 20th in a leap year and it commemorates the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist at River Jordan.

Ethiopian News Agency
2023